Machine Learning-driven Energy-efficient Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks: Predicting Node Lifetime for Optimized Performance

PDF (1507KB), PP.141-157

Views: 0 Downloads: 0

Author(s)

Ahmad Fuad Hamadah Bader 1,*

1. Department of Communication and Computer Engineering, Engineering College, Jadara University, P.O. Box 733, Irbid 22110, Jordan

* Corresponding author.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijcnis.2026.03.08

Received: 9 Mar. 2025 / Revised: 15 Sep. 2025 / Accepted: 16 Oct. 2025 / Published: 8 Jun. 2026

Index Terms

Wireless Sensor Networks, Machine Learning, Energy-efficient Routing, Q-learning, Clustering Optimization, Network Lifetime

Abstract

This study introduces a hybrid machine learning framework for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) designed to enhance energy efficiency and extend network longevity. The model integrates Q-learning for adaptive routing, hybrid clustering through Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA), and decision tree regression for predictive energy depletion analysis. By dynamically balancing energy consumption and rerouting data to circumvent nodes approaching exhaustion, the framework improves reliability and operational stability. Simulation results demonstrate notable improvements over conventional protocols such as LEACH and PEGASIS, achieving a 40% reduction in energy consumption and a 37.76% extension of network lifespan. Statistical validation (t-test, p < 0.0001) confirms the significance of these results. The proposed approach holds promise for deployment in real-world WSN and IoT applications, where optimized energy utilization and extended network lifetime can reduce maintenance costs and ensure continuous, reliable data acquisition.

Cite This Paper

Ahmad Fuad Hamadah Bader, "Machine Learning-driven Energy-efficient Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks: Predicting Node Lifetime for Optimized Performance", International Journal of Computer Network and Information Security(IJCNIS), Vol.18, No.3, pp. 141-157, 2026. DOI:10.5815/ijcnis.2026.03.08

Reference

[1]W. Yun and S. Yoo, "Q-Learning-Based Data-Aggregation-Aware Energy-Efficient Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks," IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 9321407, 2021.
[2]N. A. Pantazis, S. A. Nikolidakis, and D. D. Vergados, "Energy-Efficient Routing Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey," IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 551–591, 2013.
[3]R. Kaur, B. P. Kaur, R. P. Singla, and J. Kaur, "AMERP: Adam moment estimation optimized mobility supported energy efficient routing protocol for wireless body area networks," Journal of Network and Computer Applications, vol. 171, pp. 102793, 2020.
[4]N. Kumar, K. Singh, and J. Lloret, "WAOA: A hybrid whale-ant optimization algorithm for energy-efficient routing in wireless sensor networks," Computer Networks, vol. 197, pp. 108335, 2021.
[5]M. Pundir, J. K. Sandhu, P. Kumar, and P. Srivastava, "Secure and Energy Efficient Routing in Wireless Sensor Network using Machine Learning," Proceedings of the 2022 International Conference on Computing, Communication, and Intelligent Systems (ICCCIS), pp. 354–359, 2022.
[6]S. Pradeep, Y. K. Sharma, C. Verma, S. Dalal, and C. Prasad, "Energy Efficient Routing Protocol in Novel Schemes for Performance Evaluation," Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks, vol. 5, no. 5, pp. 101, 2022.
[7]S. Ambareesh, P. Chavan, S. Supreeth, R. Nandalike, and P. Dayananda, "A secure and energy-efficient routing using coupled ensemble selection approach and optimal type-2 fuzzy logic in WSN," Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, vol. 12, pp. 12345–12360, 2021.
[8]Heinzelman, W., et al. "An Application-Specific Protocol Architecture for Wireless Microsensor Networks." IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 2002.
[9]C. Xu, Z. Xiong, G. Zhao, and S. Yu, "An Energy-Efficient Region Source Routing Protocol for Lifetime Maximization in WSN," IEEE Access, vol. 7, pp. 135276–135287, 2019.
[10]N. Zaman, T. J. Low, and T. Alghamdi, "Energy efficient routing protocol for wireless sensor network," IEEE Sensors Journal, vol. 14, no. 11, pp. 3836–3843, 2014.
[11]D. Godfrey, B. Suh, B. H. Lim, K. Lee, and K. Kim, "An Energy-Efficient Routing Protocol with Reinforcement Learning in Software-Defined Wireless Sensor Networks," Sensors, vol. 23, no. 20, pp. 8435, 2023.
[12]Yassein, M.B., et al. "Optimizing Energy Consumption in WSNs Using Deep RL." Future Generation Computer Systems, 2020.
[13]A. Zakariyya et al., “Optimized cluster head selection using PSO-GA for WSNs,” Int. J. of Software Eng. & Computer Systems, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 35–45, 2023.
[14]W. K. Yun and S. J. Yoo, “Q-learning-based energy-efficient routing for WSNs,” IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 10737–10750, 2021.
[15]S. U. Khan et al., “Machine learning approaches for WSN longevity,” Comput. Networks, vol. 226, Article 109504, 2024.
[16]T. M. Behera et al., “Energy-efficient WSN routing: Architectures and strategies,” Electronics, vol. 11, no. 15, Article 2282, 2022.
[17]P. Bekal et al., “Energy-efficient routing for IoT-based WSNs,” Sensors, vol. 23, no. 24, Article 10712, 2023.
[18]S. Ambareesh, P. Chavan, S. Supreeth, R. Nandalike, and P. Dayananda, "A secure and energy-efficient routing using coupled ensemble selection approach and optimal type-2 fuzzy logic in WSN," Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, vol. 12, pp. 12345–12360, 2021.
[19]Heinzelman, W., et al. "An Application-Specific Protocol Architecture for Wireless Microsensor Networks." IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 2002.
[20]A. F. E. Abadi, S. A. Asghari, M. B. Marvasti, G. Abaei, M. Nabavi, and Y. Savaria, "RLBEEP: Reinforcement-Learning-Based Energy Efficient Control and Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks," IEEE Transactions on Communications, vol. 70, no. 10, pp. 6751–6765, 2022.
[21]Q. Ding, R. Zhu, H. Liu, and M. Ma, "An Overview of Machine Learning-Based Energy-Efficient Routing Algorithms in Wireless Sensor Networks," Electronics, vol. 10, no. 13, pp. 1539, 2021.
[22]S. U. Khan, Z. U. Khan, M. Alkhowaiter, J. Khan, and S. Ullah, "Energy-efficient routing protocols for UWSNs: A comprehensive review of taxonomy, challenges, opportunities, future research directions, and machine learning perspectives," Journal of King Saud University - Computer and Information Sciences, vol. 34, no. 6, pp. 4007–4022, 2022.
[23]C. Nakas, D. Kandris, and G. Visvardis, "Energy Efficient Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Comprehensive Survey," Algorithms, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 72, 2020.
[24]T. M. Behera, U. C. Samal, S. K. Mohapatra, M. S. Khan, B. Appasani, N. Bizon, and P. Thounthong, "Energy-Efficient Routing Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks: Architectures, Strategies, and Performance," Electronics, vol. 11, no. 15, pp. 2282, 2022.
[25]Z. U. Khan, M. Aman, W. U. Rahman, F. Khan, T. Jamil, and R. Hashim, "Machine Learning-based Multi-path Reliable and Energy-efficient Routing Protocol for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks," IEEE Access, vol. 10, pp. 104103–104115, 2022.
[26]Sutton, R.S., Barto, A.G. "Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction." MIT Press, 2018.